UIS starts conference play in new division

Thursday

Jan 2, 2014 at 10:00 PM

By Marcia MartinezStaff Writer

There are big changes for the University of Illinois Springfield men’s basketball team in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

UIS has switched from the traditionally weaker West Division to the seemingly more competitive East Division. The Stars’ move is due to the addition of Truman State and departure of Kentucky Wesleyan in the conference. The change puts UIS in a division with four nationally ranked and undefeated teams, No. 2 Bellarmine, No. 8 Southern Indiana, No. 16 Indianapolis and No. 22 Lewis — all teams that belonged to the East Division last season.

UIS (4-4, 0-0) kicks off conference play with a pair of home games at 7:30 p.m. Friday against Maryville (6-3, 0-1) and at 3 p.m. Sunday against Missouri-St. Louis (7-2, 1-0).

Last season, UIS finished sixth out of eight teams in the West Division with a 4-10 GLVC record. The East Division produced four NCAA Division II National Tournament qualifiers in the 2012-13 season compared to only one from the West Division. Defending national champion and No. 3 Drury, which is unbeaten, was the only team in the West that earned a postseason berth.

“We have five (GLVC) teams that are ranked in the top 25 and three in the top 10; you’re going to face everybody and know where you stand and where you’re at,” UIS coach Ben Wierzba said.

There is also another major change since last season. Conference teams will play each other at least once during the season unlike in past years. UIS will face Lewis, Wisconsin-Parkside and McKendree twice and all other teams once.

“We’ve got the East and West divisions, but you’re going to play every team in the conference,” Wierzba said. “You’re going to face everybody. You’re going to play everybody. You’ll play all 15 teams in the conference, so I don’t think there’s an advantage from one team to another when you get to play everybody.”

It has been three weeks since UIS last played. It dominated in the second half against Trevecca Nazarene in a 76-68 win.

“We’ve had a good week of practice. The guys have come back from Christmas break and they have a lot of energy. They understand what we are playing for now. It’s conference time and everything turns up a notch.”

Unlike its male counterpart, the UIS women’s squad began conference play in early December.

The Stars are 0-1 in the GLVC after a 71-64 loss to McKendree in a Dec. 7 road game. UIS (4-5) resumes conference action with a game against Maryville at 5:30 p.m. prior to the men’s contest. It is shooting for its third consecutive win.